§ 38. Mr. Robensasked the Minister of Labour whether he is now a position to indicate when he will be able to intro- 1786 duce a more accurate cost-of-living index, for which the preliminary investigations were made in 1937–38, to replace the present index which is based on pre-1914 data.
§ Mr. IsaacsI am not yet in a position to say when it will be possible to undertake a revision of the cost-of-living index. I am referring the matter to an Advisory Committee which has considered the subject in the past.
§ Mr. RobensWill the Minister expedite this matter as it is so highly important to fix something like a decent wages policy for the country?
§ Mr. IsaacsTo attempt to get any reliable figures on the fluctuations and conditions at present would be most unsatisfactory from every point of view.
§ 39. Mr. Robensasked the Minister of Labour on what grounds have the compilers of his Department's cost-of-living index concluded that the average of working-class rents has risen only twice during the war years, namely, in May, 1940, and May, 1945, and are now only 2 to 3 per cent. above September, 1939.
§ Mr. IsaacsInclusive rents of the majority of unfurnished working-class dwellings have been controlled, since the outbreak of war, by the Rent and Mortgage Interest Restrictions Act, 1939. In general the only increases permitted in the rents of such dwellings, above the level of September, 1939, have been those resulting from increases in local rates and water charges. During the war years increases in rates were relatively slight, and the total effect of such increases as occurred was only sufficient to raise the average level of inclusive rents by 2 to 3 per cent.
§ Mr. GammansIs it not a fact that local authorities are now raising the rents of working-class houses?
§ Mr. IsaacsThat is not a question which should be put to me.